A Little Cheering Up
by Kita Kudai
Summary: After Yuuki leaves Zero for Kaname he is taken to a charity concert where he meets a singer named Natsumi. Could she be the one to help him forget Yuuki or will he push her away like he had everyone else around him? Zero/OC


**In honor of summer, I have decided to write my friends a bunch of one-shots. This one is dedicated to Natsumi-chan, whom of which is the main character of this story.**

**I don't own Vampire Knight.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Zero looked around. Masses of fans were cheering, screaming for the singer to come on stage. He sighed, looking around. A friend of Yuuki's had drug him to the concert and then ditched him. He frowned. She had done it on purpose, wanting him to get over the fact that Yuuki was with Kaname now and she had only done so upon Yuuki's orders. Now he was sitting, front row at a concert he wanted nothing apart of.

A scowl crossed his face and he looked around, wanting nothing more than to leave. He was about to when the curtain opened. He turned, looking at the small figure walking onto the stage. He could see every detail perfectly, every wrinkle in her clothes, every freckle across her skin, the bruise just above her left knee, the wisps of brown hair that seemed too stubborn to stay in place, the sparkle in her brown eyes, the grin across her lips. She seemed to look right at him before opening her mouth to talk.

"Hey! You guys are lookin' lively!" She called over the crowd.

Everyone started screaming as soon as she addressed them. Zero rolled his eyes. The girl's voice was soft. If not for the microphone it would have been lost in the sea of her cheering, adoring fans. A soft smile lit up the girl's face, making her eyes glow as she grinned like a Cheshire Cat. It was as if she had wanted that sort of response from the crowd. She put a hand cupped over her ear and leaned towards the audience.

"I said, 'You guys are lookin' lively!'" She called, "Now I can't be sure, but you don't seem lively right now!"

The crowd screamed even louder, if possible. It made Zero's head hurt. He sighed, getting out of his seat. He was so out of here and he was so over being forced to do things he didn't want to do. He could feel the singer's eyes on his retreating figure. She was acting as if one fan leaving was upsetting her, like it would. All the singers ever cared about was money. The girl was bound to be the same. Slowly he turned as if to acknowledge her gaze but instead of saying anything she began to sing.

Zero stared at her, taken back. She just smiled and let her eyes move to another person in the crowd. His eyes scanned her over. She was wearing a simple tank top, black with bubble patterns all across it. Her pants, black as well, had a chain on the right leg. The links to the chain were in little crown shapes. Sitting in the middle of her chest was a necklace, bouncing as she danced across the stage. It was a silver shuriken, dulled so the points wouldn't cut her.Zero stood, mesmerized by the girl. She seemed so happy so alive, just by dancing and singing her heart out to a crowd of over four thousand. Yuuki couldn't even match the girl's smile. She seemed so radiant. Joy seemed to echo along with her voice. It was interlaced with each word she sang. Then she began walking towards the steps – leading off the stage. Subconsciously, he took a step towards the stage.

She reached out towards him. He took a step back only to have her take another step towards him. She didn't stop until she was right in front of him, still singing each word as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. She took his hand and pulled him towards the stage. He stiffened as he was forced into the spotlight. He was standing in a sea of people, perhaps even a few vampires. The thought made his blood boil.

"Aw, come on! Give me a smile!" The singer cheered.

He stared at her, expressionless. When he didn't smile she began to pout. She was much like Yuuki. He looked away from her, not wanting to even look at her. She shook her head and turned back to the crowd, grinning. She took a step forward, placing a hand to her heart as if he had stabbed her with a knife, but the look on her face said otherwise. Mirth was dancing in her eyes as she looked out to the audience.

"Guys, I think he's shy!" She called.

The crowd was a mix of cat calls, cheers and laughs. All of them were aimed at him. Zero wanted to get off stage more than anything. It wasn't even that big of a concert. The singer wasn't that famous. It was just some charity even that she was singing at. The announcer hadn't even bothered to introduce her but those people there seemed to know of her so she wasn't a complete nobody.

"Relax, buddy, they're not laughing at you. They're laughing in front of you!"

The curtains slowly started closing. The singer's eyes widened as if in horror and she reached out to the crowd, as if trying to stay there. She was pulled off stage by one of her lead guitarists. Zero stood there, unsure of what to do until the same guitarist also grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and drug him off stage as well. They had to get out of the way for the next act. The young singer glared at the guitarist.

The guitarist smiled and ruffled the girl's hair, making the pout grow. The other woman gave the two of them a two finger salute before she walked off, leaving the singer with Zero. The younger girl looked up at Zero and then smiled once more then she looked back down. She looked a little nervous to be left alone with him and she began fidgeting with her necklace. She was unable to look him in the eyes.

Zero raised his eyebrow for he didn't understand what had caused her odd change of in behavior. She seemed so happy and content on stage. Right then she was shy, too shy to look him in the eyes. She had a shy smile on her lips as she continued to play with her necklace. It was in that moment that her necklace was a mere yen.

"So… Sorry about all that…" She began, "I'm supposed to be peppy and happy on stage, cracking jokes and what not. No offense against you or anything…"

"None taken."

She smiled at him, glad that he wasn't upset with her. She playfully punched him in the arm. Zero stared at her, wondering if she was bipolar. He doubted it. She seemed happy. Despite her cheerful disposition there was something about her that seemed a little alone. Something about her seemed sad and lonely.

Silence fell about them. They looked at one another, awkwardly then they looked away. Zero cleared his throat, for the lack of anything better to do. He wanted to leave. The girl had nothing appealing to him at all. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Both of them shifted uncomfortably, trying to ease the tension.

"So…" She said, drawing out the word, "What school do you go to?"

"You're asking me about my school?"

She looked at him, rather surprised by her own choice in topic. She crossed her arms, seeming lost in thought for a moment. Zero looked at her, unable to conceal the slight amusement that he felt watching her. He could feel the corners of his lips trying to tug up into a smile. The girl was smiling at him almost sheepishly as she rubbed her neck.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"You have poor topic choice, you know?" Zero asked the girl.

Now the girl was pouting. She crossed her arms in front of her and she glared at him, trying to muster up some anger in her stare. She couldn't really muster any anger but she didn't seem to be trying hard, especially since she had a smile across her lips. She was hardly intimidating. He had faced scarier vampires than her, granted vampires were much scarier than a human could ever even dream of being.

"No!" She insisted, "You're lucky I restrained myself from asking about the weather…"

"The weather, huh?"

"Yeah, it's usually my first choice in topics."

* * *

He had left the concert, in a dispassionate mood. He wasn't content but he was no longer depressed as he had been before. As he walked down the dark streets he realized, he never even asked the girl her name. Though, it didn't matter. He'd never see her again. She was just one human that he had crossed paths with for on evening. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. If anyone had noticed his absence he'd never hear the end of it, even if it was his day off.

He walked through the gates of Cross Academy, glaring at some of the girls who were eyeing him as he walked through the gates. Immediately they looked away, almost too shy to meet his eyes. He was just in time for his shift to keep the day class away from the night class. With his mind set on keeping the classes apart he set off to work, forgetting the girl for a moment.

* * *

He got up to go to class. He was tired but he wasn't going to let that stop him from getting to class. He walked in, just in time for class, not a moment too late nor too soon. The teacher sighed, letting him sit down in a seat. He sat down, looking at the chalkboard with a dispassionate look on his face. He'd rather not be there, especially since Yuuki was no longer there. No one spoke to him anymore and it was kind of lonely but he pretended like he was fine.

"Class," The teacher said, calling forth their attention, "Before we begin today's lesson I'd like to introduce a new student."

The door opened. A girl walked in. Zero stiffened when he saw the singer from the charity concert. She was playing with her necklace, which was still around her neck, despite the fact that she was wearing her uniform. When she noticed people were staring she put the necklace underneath her shirt, hiding it from view. She smiled nervously.

"Class, this is Ame Natsumi." The teacher said, motioning to the girl.

The singer – Natsumi – gave a nervous wave to the class. When no one waved back she shifted nervously and stopped waving. She sighed and looked down at the floor, not looking anyone in the eyes, showing she was just as nervous as when Zero met her back stage at her concert. The teacher motioned for her to sit down. Now this had Zero's attention. The only open seat was right in front of him – Yuuki's old seat. No one had sat there since she left with Kaname.

Natsumi sat down, not noticing the looks that everyone had given her when she sat down. She pulled out a sketch pad as the teacher began teaching the lesson. Zero watched her. He was able to see what she was drawing, though she was trying to keep it hidden from the nosy students around her. He had a perfect view from where he was sitting to see over her shoulder. She was drawing a person but who they were he did not know.

* * *

It was his free period. The teachers had sent them off – out of class, probably to get rid of them for a few hours so they could have silence for a short while. They were free to do as they wished. Zero sat underneath on of the trees watching everyone but not really paying attention to them. He glared up when he saw that someone was leaning over him. He found Natsumi leaning over him. Her palms were resting on her knees and she was smiling at him sweetly.

"May I join you?" She asked.

"Whatever…"

Natsumi sat down next to him. She pulled out her sketch book once more. She seemed okay with the silence and the odd looks they were receiving. Either she was okay with them or she had yet to notice them but Zero highly doubted that, since they were very odd looks. She just sighed and started drawing once more. The person was a little more defined now, but had no face so he could not tell who it was.

"I never did get your name…" She said.

"Zero."

"Zero?" She asked, as if trying it out.

She smiled at him. He assumed she was just happy to have had a name to match his face. She turned to her drawing, glancing at it for a second. She brushed some eraser bits off the paper, getting them on her jacket. She shifted, tugging at the skit to pull it down but it didn't budge. Slowly she looked up at Zero, a small smile across her lips.

"So… why am I getting death glares from my female classmates?" Natsumi asked.

"I don't normally talk to anyone."

"So you don't have a lot of friends… I get it. You're the loner type." She said.

Zero stared at her, rather surprised that she hit it dead on. She was rather perceptive, a little more than he thought she would be. She was smart, but not arrogant about it and he respected that. She cocked her head to the side when she caught him staring at her. He shook his head and looked away, going back to watching the other students but not truly watching them.

* * *

**One Year Later:**

As they days went by they hung out more and more until an entire year passed. They grew to know each other very well and for a while it was enough for Zero to forget Yuuki. There were days were the pain of her departure were almost unbearable but Natsumi would always help him forget. He knew that there were some times that he thought of her as more than a friend but a part of him would never say anything in fear of compromising their friendship.

He didn't know that she was starting to feel the same thing about him. She had hoped that he could tell that way she didn't have to go and tell him because she didn't know to go about telling him that she liked him. She knew he hid things from her sometimes. He didn't want her associating with the night class. That class just made him really mad but she had no idea why.

"Hey, Kaori?" Natsumi asked.

Her friend and lead guitarist looked to her. Her eyes focused on her intently, almost burning her with the look she could see in her eyes. But that's how Natsumi knew that Kaori was paying attention. The older girl put down her guitar and sat down next to her, wrapping and arm around her thin shoulders. Natsumi normally wouldn't have allowed it – the hug – but she was in a mood and needed some cheering up.

"It's him again… Isn't it?" Kaori asked.

"Yeah…"

"Well, there are three different things you could try…" Kaori said, trying to be helpful, "First you could pretend as if you don't like him and move on with your life, telling yourself that there are other fish in the sea."

Natsumi shook her head, almost horrified at the thought. She couldn't do that and Kaori knew that just as much as she did. She liked Zero but it would hurt more to pretend she didn't love him than to know she loved him. She didn't know when, or how, but Zero had managed to squeeze past the walls that she put up in a defense around her heart without even trying to. He was very important to her. More so than she'd like to admit.

"Didn't think so…" Kaori continued, "You could wait to see if he admits he likes you first. But you've been trying that one all ready."

Natsumi nodded, agreeing. Waiting didn't seem to be the answer. She didn't want to admit it but she was afraid of him – afraid of the rejection that she was certain that would come with telling him – if she even decided to do so. She didn't want to lose him, not after he had become such a big part of her life. She'd miss him too much to bear. Again, Natsumi knew that Kaori knew this fact and she knew what her friend was going to say next.

"Well, if you want something, don't wait – Act. Tell him how you feel." Kaori said.

"I want to… but… I don't want to lose him."

"Well, you never know… Maybe he loves you too…"

Kaori let go of her, noticing how tense she was under the one armed hug. She got back to her feet and walked back over to her guitar, strumming it, humming but still paying full attention to Natsumi, just like she always did. Natsumi almost smiled but she shook her head, thinking about Zero. She wasn't one to go boy crazy but it drove her crazy when the only thing she could think about was him. It was really starting to affect her music and normally music was the answer to everything in her life. This time it had caused her biggest problem, head ache and heart ache.

"But what if he doesn't? What if I make a fool of myself?" Natsumi asked.

"I can't answer that for you, Nat… Only you can answer that." Kaori said, sympathetically.

* * *

Natsumi waited outside the café that she and Zero went to almost every day the two of them got to leave the school for a day. She was sitting there, waiting for him to show up. She felt like her chest was going to burst since her heart was beating a mile a minute. She had told herself over and over that she'd tell him how she felt but the thought was only making her feel sick. She was holding her cup tightly, almost to the point where she'd crack it if she clutched any tighter.

"Are you okay?"

She jumped in surprise. Looking up she saw an abnormally beautiful person. He had long black hair and red eyes, scary red eyes. His clothes were nice, a simple black turtle neck and tan slacks. He pulled of semi-classy with perfect ease, reminding her of some of the kids in the night class. They were rude and occasionally arrogant, two things that Zero hated more than anything in the world.

She didn't respond and looked back down at her cup, unable to meet him in the eyes. She knew it was childish, hiding her face because she couldn't face him but she had nothing else she could do. She tensed as the person pulled up a chair – _Zero's chair_, her mind screamed. The person seemed at ease around her but she was still tense.

"I… I don't know…" She finally admitted.

"What do you want to do?" He asked.

"Scream real loud…" She grumbled.

"So… you know Zero-kun, Natsumi-chan?"

Natsumi looked up at him, unable to mask the surprise in her eyes. Zero had told her that he never associated with others outside of the school. She jumped to her feet, knocking back the chair and spilling her drink on him and the table. Not that the fact registered in her mind. It was too overcome by fear. She took two steps back only to have the man up and out of his seat. He was in front of her in a heart beat.

A waiter was walking by, not even noticing her dilemma. Natsumi took her chance. She seized the tray in his hands, the hot drinks on the tray spilled all over the man looming towards her. She hit him over the head with the tray, turned tail and ran for it. She knew what he was and she was scolding herself for not noticing it sooner. He was a vampire, the eyes gave it away. He was one that was reaching level E.

She ran as fast as she could, ignoring odd looks she was getting. She wove in and out of the crowds of people, seeing the man keeping up with her easily. Two men were in her path up ahead slowly hauling a huge long sheet of glass. Natsumi knew she could either jump over it or go under it. They noticed her running right at them. They also noted that she was being chased by an older darker looking male.

Sympathy flashed through one of them. She could see it shining in his eyes. The other just shook his head, thinking it was a childish game the two were playing. But they both stopped to lift the glass sheet way above their heads up into the air so Natsumi could run under it. Soon she was safely behind the other side of the glass but she didn't stop running. She couldn't afford to.

"Thanks!" she called behind her.

They laughed as they lowered it slowly. They started moving again, at a snails pace. They pretended not to notice the older teenager boy barreling towards them. He slowed down a little when he got to the glass sheet, planted his hands firmly on the ground in front of him, and pushed himself up into the air. He somersaulted over the glass sheet and landed gracefully on the other side and resumed running at his normal speed. One of the men whistled in amazement, truly wowed by the boy.

"Damn kids…" The non-impressed man muttered.

The boy smirked, licking his lips as he watched the girl run. He could almost taste her terror hanging in the air behind her. His target had been Zero but if getting to him was through the girl then he had no qualms. Many vampires wanted the Vampire Knight out of the way but the boy could wait. The girl's blood was far too intoxicating.

Natsumi was too afraid to look over her shoulder. Sure, she had some training in self defense but against a vampire all those lessons that Kaori had beaten into her were useless. Vampires were stronger, faster, and deadly. Regret filled her heart. She'd never get to tell Zero now. She'd never get to see Kaori and tell her she was right, she should have told Zero. She'd never get to sing to a live audience. She'd never laugh and draw or talk to her parents.

Tears welled up in her eyes. It was the vampire that was causing all of this. She wanted nothing more than to destroy it, eradicate it and make it go away so it never hurt anyone ever again. As she ran down another alley she paled when she realized she had hit a dead end. Her heart stopped beating for a moment.

Slowly she turned, seeing the vampire at the edge of the alley, his dark shadow fell over her figure, making it feel like a scene out of a horror movie. He loomed closer and she could see him licking his lips as if he were delighted to have finally caught her. She frantically looked around, hoping to find something to use to hold him back, at least until help arrived. _'If it would ever come,'_ her traitorous mind thought.

She saw a metal pipe sticking out of an old trash can, for a lack of anything else to use she seized it, holding it in front of her threateningly. The vampire didn't even seem cowed. _'Of course he wouldn't be. I'm just a weak human holding a stick…'_ Her mind thought, _'But if I'm going down, I'm going to make sure he never forgets me – as long as he lives!'_

* * *

Zero waited at the café for Natsumi. It wasn't like her to be late. He had learned that she and her friend Kaori were early to everything since they hated keeping others waiting on them. It made them feel oddly guilty but for what reason Zero didn't know nor had he bothered to ask. No matter how early he arrived, to try to perhaps be earlier than her she was always there, already waiting for him like a loyal little puppy.

"Zero-kun?"

Zero looked up to see the waiter that always served him and Natsumi. He couldn't keep the confusion out of his eyes. The man only spoke to Natsumi, since she was the easier of the two to speak to about anything. He only spoke to Zero if there was something wrong, like how he had told Zero about some vampires once that needed taken care of. It was like an unspoken rule between the two men.

"Someone came after Natsumi." The man said, quickly, worriedly, "She ran off but I don't know if she got away. I called the police, since he nearly hit her but they haven't found her yet."

Zero froze. The one thing running through his mind was, _'Not Natsumi. Why her?'_ He left the café, not even bothering to thank the young man. He had to get to Natsumi. He had hoped that the vampires would never find her, try to use her against him but he was wrong. Underneath his jacket he could feel his gun hot against his chest. His finger was itching to put a hole through the vampire that would even dream of laying a finger on her.

He hurried down the streets, frantically looking around. He could smell her scent lingering in the air. He followed it like a bloodhound, worried all the while about her. His blood froze when he heard a loud, piercing scream shatter the normal chatter and hubbub of the town. People got wide eyed and began running for safety in homes and shops. They knew a vampire had gotten somebody but no one was going to step up and be the hero to save them.

Zero nearly rolled his eyes but he had bigger fish to fry. He was running down the street now, weaving through people and cars. He rounded the corner, coming across an alley. His eyes widened when he saw a vampire on Natsumi. She had a metal pipe at his neck, holding his head back, away from her exposed neck. He was trying to claw at her but her forearms were providing the perfect block for her.

Without a second thought Zero whipped out his gun and aimed. He didn't even hear the bullet fire, nor did he register that the shot hit until the body went limp and Natsumi gave a strangled cry of surprise. Zero crossed the alley in just a few short steps. He grabbed the vampire by the back of the shirt, pulling him back. He realized as he tossed the vampire aside that he had gotten it right between the temples of his head. Blood had gotten on Natsumi.

The moment the vampire was off of her Natsumi threw her arms around him, nearly crying from relief. He could feel her shaking. She had every right to. She had nearly died but he had saved her at the very last second. She clung to him, holding him like he was her only lifeline to the real world. For a moment he held her, unsure of what to do. When it came clear to him that she wasn't going to let go he eased himself down onto the ground and held her close.

"Natsumi, are you hurt?" Zero asked, trying to get a response out of her.

"N-No." She said, her voice holding a certain wobble to it.

He could tell she was holding back the terror she must have felt. She was human and to humans vampires were the most terrifying thing in the world, especially since they were stronger, faster and many had no mercy whatsoever. She was lucky he had been around or else he'd be hearing about her death in the nightly news, not the way he would want to know how the closest friend, aside from Yuuki had died.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Natsumi told him.

"I'm here now."

She held him tighter, as if afraid of letting go of him. But slowly she relaxed her hold, looking up at him with terror shinning in her eyes. She shook like a leaf and was fighting, trying to stop the constant shaking. The shiver of dread from her encounter was hard to beat. He didn't know what he'd think of him now that she had seen him kill the vampire. He doubted she knew it was a vampire until it tried to drink her blood.

"He was after you, Zero…" She whispered, "He mentioned you before chasing me."

Zero's grip on her forearms tightened. He glared darkly at the non-moving body across the way. The vampire was lucky he didn't have time to question him. He would have regretted ever crossing his path if Zero got his hands on him. Natsumi pushed away from him, slowly getting to her feet. Zero got to his feet, hovering by close, just incase she went into shock. She seemed okay but he wasn't going to take any chances.

There are a few droplets of blood on her face. Without even intending to, he wiped the blood away, though it smeared against his pale skin it was no longer on hers. She stared at him with almost innocent eyes.

"So, you worried, not because a vampire tried to kill you but because you're worried about me?" He asked incredulously.

"You know, that's the most I think I've ever heard you say." She remarked.

"Don't change the subject."

Natsumi grinned, shakily, trying to assure him she was fine when he knew she was still nervous about the whole incident. Whether she was as confident as she tried to put off or she was trying to assure herself that it was okay he didn't know. He sighed. There were a lot of things he didn't know anymore. He ran a hand through his hair, noticing the gun still in his other hand. He pulled his jacket back, replacing it in its holster.

"Zero… I…"

"Let's get you home…"

Natsumi allowed him to pull her away from the dead vampire. She may have seemed calm on the outside but on the inside she was still shaking. She was just glad he killed it, stopping it from hurting anyone else but that didn't stop her worry. His gun was one used specifically to hunt down vampires. She didn't even know he had a gun, let alone a gun for that reason. She wondered how many secrets he was keeping from her.

* * *

She stared at the ceiling of her room. Zero had dropped her off, leaving her in her dorm. He had come back a couple hours later bringing them both bowls of vegetable soup – his favorite and her second favorite to miso. They ate in silence, not bringing up the event. Natsumi ate, with less vigor than Zero thought she would have. When he left taking their bowls with him she was left to stare at the ceiling once more.

Natsumi looked to her right, noticing her cell phone sitting ever so innocently on her dresser. She reached over, taking it in her hand. She had all of her friends on speed dial, Zero being at the top of the list since most of her friends still remained in the US when her parents moved her over to Japan. Kaori was her first friend in the new city so she was second on the speed dial. She hesitated for a moment before opening the phone and hitting dial.

She waited, her heart jumping in her throat. She had never felt so nervous in her entire life. But more than anything she wanted to tell him before something interfered again. She wasn't going to die without telling him and who knew when another vampire may target her again to hurt him – for whatever reason they had. Her heart sank when she got his voicemail instead of him, but she was going to press on regardless.

"Yo…" She began, "Sorry to be calling you at a time like this…"

She laughed nervously, running a hand through her hair and feeling the sweat starting to form on her brow. She rested her head on one of her other hands, using it as an impromptu pillow. She glanced at the window, noticing that night had fallen. She didn't know that so much time had passed since she had been forced into her room by the older boy.

"Well, you see… I have something to say… But it's nothing much…"

She was aware that she was rambling, prattling on about useless things, stalling for time, hoping he'd pick up as she chattered but he didn't. She laughed nervously, knowing he'd pick up just how nervous she was. He always seemed to know how she felt just by listening to her. She smiled to herself. He was a really good listener. He had always been a good listener.

"I've always… for a long time… Liked you… I mean I really like you… Um, well, I hope you'll call me back after you get this… Bye, Zero."

She hung up, feeling a little dejected. Now she had the torment of waiting. It was almost as bad as telling him. She felt like her stomach was on fire and that she was going to throw up from anticipation. Her heart pounded in her chest and she could almost feel it pounding in her throat. She was surprised that no one could hear it, pounding the way it was. All she could do was wait for his reply.

* * *

Zero heard his cell phone go off. He wasn't paying attention but he heard the familiar ring tone, knowing it was Natsumi. He was strolling around the school, making sure day class students weren't sneaking about, trying to catch a glimpse of the notorious night class. After he heard the beep, signaling that it had gone to voice mail he pulled the phone out of his pocket. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to her. It was that he couldn't afford a slip in his attention.

The phone was warm in his hand and he was tempted to listen to the message – that was until a shadow caught his eyes. He followed it – finding a couple of students trying to sneak over to the night class side. He caught them with ease, sending them back to their dorms, making sure they didn't go elsewhere. He'd have to listen to her message later, when there weren't so many students trying to sneak over.

His shifted ended and he went back to his dorm. He looked back at his phone, wondering if she was still up and if he should call her. He decided to listen to her message before he did anything. He flipped it open, getting a good glance at the picture she forced him to have as a back drop – one of the two of them. She was smiling sweetly, giving the camera phone a smile and a peace sign while her other arm was looped around his neck, holding him within the camera's view. He wasn't smiling but his eyes seemed lighter than they had been in a long time – since Yuuki in fact.

"_Yo…"_ She began, _"Sorry to be calling you at a time like this…"_

He nearly rolled his eyes. She called whenever she darn well pleased. He didn't mind her calling him late at night. He was always up anyways. He sighed and walked over to the window seat he had in his room. His eyes sought the courtyard, looking out over the school with a weary look in his eyes. He heard her soft laugh on the other side of the line. It reminded him of bells, since it was so soft and the tone always told him she was nervous.

"_Well, you see… I have something to say… But it's nothing much…"_

Zero frowned, waiting for her to go on. Normally she didn't beat around the bush but she seemed to be avoiding her reason for calling him entirely. He sat up, wondering if she was hurt. He was prepared to sneak over to her dorm if need be but then he froze, realizing his thoughts. She had affected him so deeply that he hardly thought about Yuuki. He still loved her but he loved Natsumi as well and Natsumi was something – or at least someone that was his – without any vampires getting in the way.

"_I've always… for a long time… Liked you… I mean I really like you… Um, well, I hope you'll call me back after you get this… Bye, Zero."_

He stiffened, staring at the phone in surprise. He checked the time… It was two in the morning, far too late to call her but he knew she'd be up, waiting for his response. The more he thought about it the better he felt. He'd have to tell her soon but tomorrow he realized since it was now two in the morning.

* * *

Natsumi couldn't sleep at all. Zero had never responded, gave no acknowledgement that he even got her message. She trudged to class, half awake and barely able to hold her head up during the lecture. Even drawing bothered her since she had been working a picture of Zero and it didn't help since he was sitting right behind her during the entire class. When the bell rang she stood for a moment, not sure what she was waiting for.

She stiffened when someone fit their hand in hers. She looked up, meeting Zero's eyes. There was something about the way he looked at her that made a smile creep up on her face. Even if he didn't get her message she had hoped they would still be friends. He leaned close of her, taking a lock of her hair in between his fingers.

"I really like you too." He whispered.

She looked at him surprised, her little lock of hair falling from his fingers as she turned on him, shock written across her face. But slowly she smiled. He had gotten her message after all. Using her free hand she wacked him with her sketch pad, making him let go of her other hand. He stared at her, mildly surprised.

"You made me wait almost fifteen hours to tell me that?" She questioned.

He shook his head, nonetheless happy or at least happier than he had been before he met her. She smiled and leaned against his shoulder as they walked out of the classroom and into the courtyard. People stared at them as they walked past but they ignored them. They normally did get odd looks for hanging out with one another so it wasn't any different than any other day, except now, they really were together. Natsumi grinned. In the end, all Zero needed was a little cheering up.

* * *

**I think I did pretty decent, considering I've never even read Vampire Knight. So read and review please!**


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